Chelsea Clinton's Non-Vegan Vegan Wedding

Clinton, the daughter of President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, is getting married in Rhinebeck, New York, tomorrow. The blogosphere has been debating the merits of Clinton's wedding menu choices since they were leaked a couple of weeks ago (Clearly, those of us who live in the blogosphere have very little to do). The issue? Her decision to serve primarily vegan and gluten-free dishes, including a gluten-free wedding cake. Clinton, as it turns out, is a vegan and gluten-intolerant.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Really? you ask. She's a grown up, you say. She can serve what she want, you add thoughtfully.

Most Popular

Ah, but the really, truly burning issue here is that she's also serving grass-fed, organic beef. One can almost imagine an angry standoff during the reception with anointed vegans on one side of the room and murderous, flesh-eating cow killers on the other.

Vegans – frustrated by society's refusal so far to adopt a lifestyle based on hemp and Naugahyde – have resorted to chastisement and one-upmanship on various green Web sites, while readers of other sites – fearful, perhaps, of finding grilled tofu piled on their plates - have lauded her decision to accommodate the tastes of her guests (You have to wonder if President Clinton – infamous for making pit stops at McDonald's while jogging – didn't have some pull over that choice).

"Why compromise your ethics, values, and philosophy of life for a few people that disagree with her lifestyle choices?," wondered georgina0912 at Ecorazzi.

"I hope Chelsea doesn't look back with regret- not about getting married but for serving murdered animals at her wedding celebration. I do!," said Patty Sheneker at Mother Nature Network. "I was vegetarian for many years when i got married & allowed meat to be served. I did it for my parents but i regret this every day of my life! And the marriage didn't last!"

Aagh!

Poor Chelsea can't even get a break from the carnivores at Serious Eats:

"…I went to a vegan friend's wedding last year" wrote em, "and was disappointed that there was not more vegan stuff -- because I wanted to see what awesome things they could do without meat when they really pull out all the stops…"

Clinton's menu is, clearly, a compromise. Eager to be true to her own beliefs – as well as wanting to be able to enjoy some cake, herself – she's come up with a menu that can accommodate as many of her guests as possible. And if the carnivores feel there wasn't enough animal protein on the menu, they'll want to take note: the nearest McDonald's is 10 miles away in Kingston.